Five

This sentence has five words. Here are five more words. Five-word sentences are fine. But several together become monotonous. Listen to what is happening. The writing is getting boring. The sound of it drones. It’s like a stuck record. The ear demands some variety. Now listen. I vary the sentence length, and I create music. Music. The writing sings. It has a pleasant rhythm, a lilt, a harmony. I use short sentences. And I use sentences of medium length. And sometimes, when I am certain the reader is rested, I will engage him with a sentence of considerable length, a sentence that burns with energy and builds with all the impetus of a crescendo, the roll of the drums, the crash of the cymbals–sounds that say listen to this, it is important.

Geometry

It is

like a looming rock wall

that you have to climb

by the year's end.

But the wall is so steep,

and so tall,

you wish you'd chose an easier climb.

But now you're stuck here,

and you have to climb so fast

on a such a difficult wall.

And the teacher isn't really helping,

as she watches from above

as you struggle to reach for the next rock.

She tells you where to hold, 

how to climb, 

how to reach, 

how to pull yourself up.

But she goes so fast,

and you can't hear everything, 

and you struggle to learn

as you climb the wall.

And as she talks 

you feel so frustrated

and want her to explain more,

instead of having you learn 

from ways you don't even understand.

So now, you're tired.

And someone has already decided to stop,

and climb an easier wall

and you wish you could join him.

But you stay,

climbing this wall,

and you look up,

and see you're getting closer to the end,

but you're still so far away.

And you wish that

this wall would just be over,

and you could walk away,

only to have co climb another wall.

-Cleo 

Here's to All of You

here's to the girl

who didn't ask to lose her friends

and yet lost them anyways,

to events out of her control,

and she could only watch what happened

here's to the boy

who wishes that the past could be erased

and that he could feel better about himself

 who is afraid of getting hurt again

and has to hide that part within him

here's to the girl

who lived a lonely life

 until now never quite fit in,

and now life pulls apart what she had built

so carefully, bit by bit

here's to the girl

who was bullied all her life,

who knew only tears,

until she found a voice of her own

and a destiny for herself

here's to the girl 

who heard the quiet whispers of others

and suffered through them

alone, with no one there for her

to help her through her misery

here's to the boy

who brilliantly shone out to the world

until the day his stability fell,

who left in shame,

and was unable to return

here's to the girl,

who stuck out for her differences

and was relentlessly bullied

for who she was

and  where she had come from

here's to the people

who are all real

who braved their storms

and stuck it out through the end
despite everything against them

and here's to you, all of you

remember this:

whenever life gets hard

just keep on going

because i know things will be okay

 

-Cleo

Your Story

I am.

I am the hidden watcher of your tale. 

You do not know me. 

But I know you. 

I know your secrets,

I know your deepest fears, your highest hopes. 

I know the reasons behind you actions and your words. 

I do not spy on you, though. 

I don't try to know you, or try to learn your your deepest secrets. 

You tell them to me. 

Your actions, your thoughts, your words. 

They all tell me who you are. 

And I know who you are. 

For I hold your story in my hand. 

I leaf though the pages if your history,

Your present,

And your future. 

In a different world, 

I see everything through different eyes.

Through your eyes.

You experience it. 

And I see it. 

And when you cry,

I feel your pain. 

I cry for you. 

But you don't know that, do you?

You don't know I cry. 

You'll never know I cry.

You're just a character. 

You story has already been written,

Your date decided, 

Your whole existence merely a creation. 

But to me, you are real. 

You are real. 

And so is your pain. 

Your love. 

Everything. 

Everything about you is real. 

So real. 

Too real. 

But your story continues. 

And u want to know what it holds. 

Every new word read is a new discovery, 

A new view deeper into your story, 

A new twist in this book. 

This book where I am at utterly transfixed. 

Until, of course, it ends. 

All stories must end. 

Yours will end. 

My view into your world will vanish. 

And you swill only remain a memory. 

Just a memory. 

But one that will never be forgotten. 

And that is why, my friend, 

I want to open this book, this story of yours. 

I want to see where it takes you. 

And where you end up. 

I know you, dear friend. 

You don't know anything about me. 

But I know you. 

I feel for you. 

I cry for you. 

And I watch your journey continue, 

Through the pages of this book.

-Cleo

Where We Live

I am from Earth

The planet where there is neither Jew nor Greek

Who are not human

That was a long time ago

No I am from “Move to the back of the bus!”

from “We don’t serve your kind!”

“Your vote don’t count!”

and “Get off our streets!”

I am from an eye for an eye

that seems to never be what happens

I am the seventy seven cents to their dollar

If any one man is to think they can change this

they must gather together with more

For if they wish to live in peace

And equality

Then we must all stand up and speak to create a world where

We stand hand in hand with our neighbors and bosses

And live not with the dream

But with the reality

Is that where you live?

-Apple

Betrayal

How is that it is
Better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all
What if when they went out
They had their great bang
For it is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend
Like the ones
Who if they wanted to go home
They must betray
To be accepted
The must have lost one's trust
Had their back
Never telling them
That it was them
Who had the knife
The drop of your heart
And the trembling of your voice
As tears gather in your lashes
It takes so much time to build trust
On both sides
And find what works
So why
Why would they just throw that away
Don't they realize all of the pain
All of the misery you must now endure
A kind man fights with a sword
So why couldn't they just draw blood
Why couldn't they take a swing
Let your physical pain take it all in
What had you done to them
To make them lie
And cheat
But never even telling you themselves
You had to find out by another
They will
Never
Understand
What it feels like
When all you can do
Is cry
And pray to someone
Who isn't even listening

-Apple

Inspired by Sirius Black—
'Then you should have died! Died rather than betray your friends, as we would have done for you.'

The Now and the Then

I wish that I'd picked those wild flowers
That grow beside the road
And sat
On the hood of my car
At least once more
To watch
As the yellow sunset
Slowly dipped under my view
Why am I so stubborn
So selfish
That I couldn't make myself
Think about the now more
And the future less
I used to wish for
That picture perfect
Normal
Life
Because my life wasn't
But now
I don't know why
For now I know that's not right
I want a future filled with laughter
And odd, quirky memories
To put me to sleep
And then
And only then
Will I be able to smile
A real smile
In the arms of my love
No matter who
Or what
They are
For that's my future
But now
Is the now
And I am writing this
On the hood of my Bronco
As I watch the gentle stars
Fall from their old places in the sky
So that they too can move on
From what they were supposed
To be

-Apple